Student Spotlight

Current and former students describe how they came to choose Miami, life as a Miami student, the value of a liberal arts education, their study abroad experiences and internships, and more.

Taylor Gordon

(Class of 2020)

Students enrolled particularly in the College of Arts and Science study a wide range of subjects, which can include courses involving the humanities, STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math], and social sciences. Our exposure to a variety of topics allows us to examine, think, and connect ideas throughout the pursuit of our degrees.

Alison Tuiyott

(Class of 2020)

It's important to take a variety of courses — not just math or stats, but also things like theater and environmental biology and more. These courses allow you to meet people who are different from you, force you to try and do new things, and push yourself out of your comfort zone. That big picture mentality is priceless — otherwise we'd all be staying in our little bubbles.

Max Leveridge

(Class of 2018)

The Miami Plan, which enforces a liberal arts education, has led me to classes that I would not have found otherwise — microeconomics, architecture, film studies, and many more. I understand now how markets work, and I try to tie that knowledge into sustainability, environmental science, and policy to understand why people act the way that they do, especially in how they treat the environment.

Rebecca Wyma

(Class of 2018)

Diving into the different classes Miami has to offer has allowed me to master a number of subjects. Microbiology courses came with my major, but caught me off guard with their range of subject matter. I never before knew how intertwined the world was with microbes. But now as a senior approaching graduation, I know so much about these little organisms that I feel as though I could apply the information anywhere I go in life whether that is in the medical field or just more broadly into my daily living.

Jayne Orleans

(Class of 2019)

Whatever I decide will not involve me being behind a desk — I want to get out there and interact with people, and there are many ways to do that with the skills I've gained. Overall, you can't go wrong with taking courses or getting a major in the College of Arts and Science — it has everything!

Bob Krueger

(Class of 2019)

It's really exciting to think that I started my math research the second semester of my freshman year, and a paper has already come of it. Meeting some really nice people, not only at Miami but also at other universities through conferences, has really opened doors for me. I have to give a shout-out to associate professor of mathematics, Louis DeBiasio, who's my advisor and research mentor. We call him Dr. D, and we meet once or twice every week to work on stuff and talk about various things, so he's been a source of a lot of answers — and quite a few questions! — about my academics, career goals, and a lot more.

Phoebe Myers

(Class of 2019)

Two amazing experiences I've had at Miami were studying abroad in Cuba and Luxembourg, and they both led to my Undergraduate Summer Scholars research project with Daisy Hernandez on Cuban Americans and how they use art, writing, and other forms of expression to explore what American citizenship means to them individually — rather than as a governmental policy.

Emily Goliver

(Class of 2019)

Miami's study abroad and away programs were really appealing to me. At the time I was particularly interested in Inside Washington program, and that convinced me to apply. And then, when I was visited for Make it Miami and saw the campus, I said to myself, 'This is home.'

Oliver Young

(Class of 2018)

There's something intangible that Miami provides: a sense of pride, meaning, and passion in what you're learning and doing. All of this grows out of your experiences here, which to me has been the most valuable experience. I've found direction and my calling, along with other people who share passionate interest in the same things.

Teresa Langenkamp

(Class of 2019)

I looked at a lot of schools, and I visited Miami to meet faculty in the Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science. I really liked the size of the university and its geology program, and meeting professors in my area of study made me feel I could see myself here. The professors were very inviting and enthusiastic about the material, and this made me want to study it too.

Lauren Voegtle

(Class of 2019)

My favorite thing about my majors is that they truly push me to think past what I personally experience in my daily life and focus on how I am part of a much larger global system that influences the politics, economics, and culture that all of us experience. This kind of intercultural and international thinking prepares me for my future because I plan to travel as much as I can, work outside of the United States, and join the Peace Corps when I graduate.

Lindsey McCready

(Class of 2019)

I came to Miami knowing I wanted to study politics, but I've always loved math and science as well. Being a liberal arts student has allowed me to continue to take all kinds of classes that I enjoy. They allow my focus on politics to be much more well-rounded.

Harrison Graydon

(Class of 2018)

I've had a very well-rounded experience at Miami so far, and being exposed to a variety of things is important for any college student. Among the best of my experiences was being part of the Global Connections living learning community (LLC) in Clawson Hall. I really enjoyed it because of all the great friends I made, from both the U.S. and many other countries.

Alexandra Apicella

(Class of 2018)

I discovered my first 3 majors, all in the Department of Global and Intercultural Studies: Black world studies, Latin American studies, and women's, gender & sexuality studies (WGS). For me, they seemed more specifically focused on people, culture, and social conditions, and that's what drew me in. I have never taken a class for any of these majors that I haven't enjoyed. I feel that the topics are important, challenging, and extremely relevant.

Amanda Ryerse

(Class of 2018)

In political science, I took a great class with Dr. Marshall a couple years ago about the politics of the Middle East. For me, it's a topic that had always been fascinating since I had grown up in a military family. Dr. Marshall showed us that in order to have a solution for that region of the world, you need to know how the people think.

Arcadia Davies

(Class of 2019)

There are so many courses in general at Miami that I was able to find ways to apply to my major that I hadn't thought of before. The liberal arts pushes you to think outside of the traditional boundaries of your major, and I was inspired to refocus my disciplines after my marine ecology study abroad trip — which I originally joined for credit because I didn't want to study science in a classroom!

Lauren Poythress

(Class of 2020)

Being involved in different organizations and programs around Miami is giving me a lot of professional experience. Whether it's Bridges or Pre-Law or psychology, every activity I'm a part of helps me interact with and understand people. Psychology will play a large role in my future because I'm learning about the reasoning behind people's behavior. As for Black World Studies, it's not only an important part of my history, but I'm gaining knowledge that can keep me a step above and preparing for my future as a civil rights lawyer.

Erin Graves

(Class of 2018)

Because I've been taking a lot of classes in different areas, I feel that being a liberal arts student has given me a really good perspective on the world. This leads to becoming a well-rounded person — and not just me but the entire university. At Miami I feel you can sit down with anyone and have a real conversation with them. In today's world, being open-minded and communicative is really going to come in handy, and a lot of those skills develop from the liberal arts.

Imani Fields

(Class of 2019)

All of my professors have been amazing. It's because of them and staff in their departments that I feel so encouraged. Faculty and staff at Miami are great at answering student questions and helping us find the resources we need.

Jack Ackerman

(Class of 2018)

At Miami I have come to appreciate the quality in which my faculty and peers carry themselves, and these traits hold true in all of the alumni I have met as well. I've been fortunate to establish relationships with not only my own professors from various classes but also with some in different departments who I'd never had in class!

Anna Melberg

(Class of 2018)

Although I'm now a senior, I haven't yet fully decided what I'll be doing after graduation, but I do know that my trip to Lithuania and my experiences with the Havighurst Center will have a strong connection. Today's political climate has made it all the more important that we have people who understand Russian fluently to prevent mistranslations. As much as we have the technology to directly translate languages, context is incredibly important.

Jessi Wright

(Class of 2019)

Last summer, I went on a study abroad trip with the Literary London program, which was great. I was in a group of 20-30 students led by associate professor of English Kaara Peterson. We took writing classes, saw Shakespearean plays, and worked with various companies as interns (my internship was at a magazine called This Is London), all in London and the surrounding areas.

Sammi Marshall

(Class of 2018)

Having an education that focuses on more than the sciences, especially for science majors, is really important to broaden your mind. I find it very refreshing to take classes outside of biology or chemistry, such as a Spanish class (SPN 322) I had last fall about service learning projects, health disparities in Hispanic communities, and the use of Spanish in the healthcare field.

Rachel Baker

(Class of 2018)

Studying abroad in Spain, which I did during the summer of 2016, was one of the greatest experiences I have had at Miami…we hiked part of the ancient pilgrimage called the Camino de Santiago. As part of a documentation project they used a drone to capture some amazing footage of our group walking the Camino and talking to people along the way.

Christopher Beecroft

(Class of 2018)

Everyone here is welcoming to each other. When you walk down the street, people say 'hi' and smile. This includes when you join student clubs or go to athletic events. This inspired me to find great leadership experience within my residence hall, and I joined different clubs that work towards leadership and community service.

Olivia Wetsch

(Class of 2018)

I chose Miami primarily for their research opportunities, because I wanted to look into a career in biology research. Miami has always stressed its opportunities to get involved with faculty on research projects, which was very attractive to me. I also was interested in Miami's many study abroad programs and the fact that there seemed to be a student club for just about everything.

Morgan Nguyen

(Class of 2018)

To put it succinctly, a liberal arts education trains one in the skills of the everyday world, and this really becomes the foundation for your future career. While engineering and business may be more specific and technical, the liberal arts builds your academic character as a scholar!

College of Arts and Science

As the center of Miami's diverse liberal arts curriculum, the College of Arts and Science (CAS) fosters a rigorous intellectual climate that promotes learning and discovery. The CAS offers 63 majors, 58 minors, and 10 co-majors to undergraduate students, as well as about 30 masters and 10 doctoral programs.